Jordanian man cycles 3,000km to reach UAE, praises Emirati culture and humility

Adnan Okasha, Staff Reporter

On his first trip outside his country, a Jordanian traveller, Issa Qassim Qazaqzah, 44, covered around 3,000 kilometres on a bicycle from Jordan to the UAE through Bahrain under the slogan ‘May glory of Dar Zayed be long.’

“The trip lasted nearly three months. I started from Jordan and crossed the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia before I landed in the Kingdom of Bahrain from where I resumed my trip to the UAE,” Qazaqzah told Al Khaleej.

He stated that this was the first time he visited the UAE and that he found Emiratis respected people for their humanity and dignity and appreciated youth, sports and any exceptional initiative, noting that since he entered the UAE, he received exceptional hospitality with over 10 Emirati families welcoming him with love, hospitality, and generosity.

Qazaqzah’s trip, which he documented in special videos, so far included Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah, Al Ain and Ras Al Khaimah, and he is scheduled to resume his trip to Umm Al Quwain, Ajman and Sharjah.

The Jordanian traveller indicated that his aim was to convey a message of love and pride from the people of Jordan to the UAE and its people, promote love and peace, support people with Down syndrome, people of determination and the blind, encourage breast cancer screening and spread awareness of the devastating dangers of drugs.

He started his land trips on his bike 18 years ago in 2005 but all his trips were inside Jordan but this was his first trip abroad, he said, stressing that he had a passion for travel and adventure.

Qazaqzah went through many difficulties during his long journey, the most important of which was the volatile climate, which included heat, humidity, cold, dust, and strong winds.

He also sustained minor injuries as a result of falling off his bicycle and had to stop sometimes due to bicycle malfunctions.